Graduate Studies

Admission of New Graduate Students

Application to the School of Graduate Studies at Western Illinois University may be completed online at wiu.edu/grad. A $30 non-refundable application fee is required.

Applicants for admission to the School of Graduate Studies must hold a bachelor's degree from an institution that is accredited by the appropriate U.S. Department of Education regional institutional accrediting agency. Applicants usually apply for admission to a degree program simultaneously with admission to the School of Graduate Studies. If the applicant meets the minimum admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies, a copy of the application materials is forwarded to the program of interest for consideration.

Admission in any program of the School of Graduate Studies is contingent upon successful completion of undergraduate coursework specified as a prerequisite. Admission requirements for any particular graduate degree program may exceed the minimum admission standards of the School of Graduate Studies. No one may pursue an advanced degree at Western without being admitted to the appropriate degree program. Certain programs require the General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Requirements for each program are listed in the program section of this catalog. Some programs may require domestic applicants who are non-native speakers of English with foreign degree credentials to demonstrate verbal proficiency in the English language in order to undertake graduate studies. Students should consult with the departmental graduate committee chair to obtain a more detailed written description of the program requirements.

Applicants may be accepted in the School of Graduate Studies as degree-seeking graduate students, probationary graduate students, or nondegree graduate students.